Spider sheet web

Description:

Sheet-web spiders build webs in woods and grassy areas. They spin thin sheets of silk between blades of grass or branches of shrubs and trees and then build a net of crisscrossing threads above the sheets. They cling to the sheet upside down while waiting for a meal. When an insect flies into the net, the spider runs up to the insect and pulls it through the webbing. These webs last a long time because of the thick sheet constructed. When the spider repairs parts of the web, the sheet becomes even thicker.

Habitat:

Wooded hillside just above stream.

Notes:

Webs may be in a vertical plane (most orb webs), a horizontal plane (sheet webs), or at any angle in between. Most commonly found in the sheet-web spider families, some webs will have loose, irregular tangles of silk above them. These tangled obstacle courses serve to disorient and knock down flying insects, making them more vulnerable to being trapped on the web below. They may also help to protect the spider from predators such as birds and wasps.